The Mortal Blade
by Rolling-Chan
Summary: When Mikuo is kidnapped as a sacrifice to the Great Demon, Hatsune Miku risks everything, including the entire country of Iro, to get her brother back. Along the way she meets Kagamine Len, a rude and snarky boy who is on a mission of his own. The reluctant allies must learn to get along despite their differences or else they will fail to save what it is they most want to protect.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Before anyone gets on to me for how short this is, keep in mind that this is a prologue, NOT an actual full length chapter. This is just an intro; we'll meet everyone else in the next installment to this story.

Anyway, I know some of you are thinking "Why are you starting ANOTHER fanfic? Shouldn't you finish the ones you already have up first?" Yes, yes I should finish them, but I have spent months working on this fanfic and simply couldn't wait any longer to share it with you guys. I can't help it, I have Writer's ADHD. There is no way for me to focus on just one story! Honestly, to those of you who can write only one thing at a time, I don't know how you do it. I may be cool, but I'll never be as cool as you, and that's saying a lot because I'm pretty freaking awesome.

Well, there's my Black Star moment of the day. :P (If you get that reference without having to look it up that automatically adds 500 points to your cool meter.)

-Ray

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Vocaloid. The only thing I own is this universe and the laws in it.

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><p>The fire blazed with no control as it destroyed all within its path. The beams of cottages blackened, crops withered and turned to ash in seconds, and dark smoke filled the nighttime sky. The screams of those trapped inside their homes have long since been silenced.<p>

Eyes glued to the scene, a little girl watched as her home burned to dust. Her dress and hair flew in the wind. Her expression was blank and her eyes dim. The child was not at all phased by the destruction of her village.

"You seem calm," the voice of a dark, cloaked figure said to the girl.

"Because I know this isn't real," she replied, her tone without emotion. By looking at her one would think the child was no more than seven, but her voice was that of a grown woman.

"Really now?" the voice seemed to chuckle.

"Really," the girl confirmed. The two watched as her home crumbled to the ground, ember and spark flying in the sky and vanishing into the stars. "This is a warning," the girl then said.

"A warning?" The voice sounded amused.

"This is what will happen if we fail to sacrifice to the Great Demon Musaboru," the girl said in monotone. "This is what he will do to all of Iro if any of the seven tribes refuse to offer up the first born child of each respective tribe's chief to have their blood spilled."

"You seem rather calm for a child of a chief," the voice observed.

"I'm not the first born," she replied.

"Ah," the voice acted as if it were relieved. "That's good for you."

"No," the child shook her head, "that's not a good thing."

"Oh?"

"I won't ever let them take my brother," the girl said it as if there were no other option.

"Then you risk this." With that the speaker stretched his arm out in time for the fire to blaze higher than before.

"Not so," the girl said calmly, "Iro will not be burned to the ground and destroyed."

"And why do you say that?"

The girl fixed her large turquoise eyes on the tall figure. "Because I, the eldest daughter of the Hatsune clan, will kill the Great Demon Musaboru."


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, let's see. I have the sun, moon, stars - what else could possibly be on the test? Water? Fire? Maybe tree? Miku-Chan, when are you ever going to pay attention in class? Are you even sure the test is on the elements? Gosh, you're definitely going to fail."

The teen sat on her fluffy pink futon as her large eyes scanned through the scrolls before her, bottles of ink and brushes on the side. She wore an old gray shirt in case she spilled the ink, and her messy turquoise hair was tied back in a single ponytail. For every word she was certain she would be tested on, she would write the word in Hiragana before writing its Kanji counterpart next to it on her bare forearm. "Kuso!" she swore under her breath when she realized she had messed up on a word. "Now how am I supposed to fix this?"

"Miku?"

"Mmm?" Miku looked up to see a disapproving look on her big brother's face. He was leaning against her door frame and had his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his teal tunic stretched over his his muscled chest and arms.

"What have I told you about cheating?" he asked his younger sister, his tone more of a sigh than a warning.

"What have I told you about me not giving a rip?" Miku countered as she stretched her bare legs out in front of her.

Hatsune Mikuo gave his mischievous little sister a glance that told her to watch it. He had teal hair and eyes, a hooked nose, and a strong jaw. He was tall and well built, making him the center of the tribe's single girl's attention, and now that he was eighteen he was eligible for marriage. Such a shame for the girls who were interested in him as the only girl Mikuo cared about was his sister, and with how she was constantly getting into trouble at school Mikuo couldn't afford to stop paying attention to her for more than a second.

Sixteen-year-old Miku had a bit of a reputation for barely passing her tests and had been caught cheating more than once. It wasn't that she was dumb, it was only Miku was filled with too much energy to sit still and study. Like Mikuo she was very attractive, but she had her charms on a different level then her brother. Her hair and eyes were turquoise, she had a heart shaped face, and she possessed an a-bit-too-thin body. Despite the weird combination Miku was attractive like Mikuo, but the two didn't look much related at all.

"You need to know this stuff, Miku," Mikuo said, referring to Miku's tossed aside textbooks. "It takes the same amount of effort to cheat as it does to study, so take the time to learn everything. You're next in line to be the Green Tribe's chief, you know?"

"Come on," Miku began with a hint of a whine, "I won't become chief unless something happens to you, and nothing is ever going to happen to my Miko-Nii."

Mikuo raised his eyebrow at Miku for using that nickname on him. When Miku was young and learning to talk, she couldn't say Mikuo's name properly so instead she called him "Miko." Miku still called her brother that name when she was trying to come across as a sweet and adorable younger sister, or when she was in trouble yet again.

"Don't cheat," he warned her.

"No promises," she replied as she returned her attention to her scroll.

Her brother lingered by the doorway a little longer before he left. _Why does all of a sudden he acts like I'm the one who's going to be chief of our tribe?_ Miku wondered. _He _is_ the older of us two, and it's not as if anything's ever going to happen to him._ Suddenly a sharp and burning vision flashed in her mind.

Holding her head, Miku gritted her teeth as she saw fire destroy her home. _Then you risk this_ a voice said in her mind, echoing like a memory from long ago. Fire. Destruction. Death. . . . A lot of death.

"STOP!" Miku yelled. She threw out her arm and knocked over her scroll and ink. Black spread out all around her floor, and Miku's screams could be heard from across the cottage.

"Miku!" Mikuo called as he rushed back in to find his little sister on the floor in tears. "Miku," he said to her as he scooped the girl into his arms and tried to calm her down. "Shhh, it's all right," he soothed as he rubbed her back. "It's only a vision."

"It won't stop," Miku sobbed, trembling under her own sobs. "Our home was on fire. Everyone we knew was dead. And-" Miku hiccupped before trying again. "And it was all my fault! I killed everyone!"

"You're not responsible for killing anyone," Mikuo said as he ran his fingers through his sister's hair.

Rubbing her face against Mikuo's shoulder, Miku whispered, "But it seems so real."

Mikuo continued to stroke Miku's hair as he tried to find the right words to say. Ever since she was a little girl, Miku had been plagued with visions. Whatever it was she saw would send her into a spiral of panic. She never saw the future, Mikuo noticed, but Miku had claimed the visions usually came to her whenever she thought about the blood moon.

_The blood moon_ Mikuo sighed. Whenever the blood moon shone in the nighttime sky, the eldest child of each of Iro's seven chiefs would be sacrificed to the demon Musaboru. Stories tend to say that often time a chief's younger children would have this ability to see visions that acted as a warning if they dare try to prevent the sacrifice of their older sibling, but this was so rare that many people brushed it off as a coincidence. Children were born with premonitions every once in a while, so why assume that just because the child is one of a chief's younger children the visions they have are warnings?

Still, it could make sense, but then again it couldn't. No one knew when the next blood moon was. It could have been in their lifetime. It could have been centuries from now. Why would any child need warnings when their older sibling wasn't going to be sacrificed? _And why would Miku need warnings in the first place?_ Mikuo wondered. _Miku can't even pass her Kanji test without cheating, so how could she be a threat to preventing the sacrifice?_

"I'm better now," Miku sniffled. "Thanks, Nii-Chan."

Mikuo rubbed Miku's back before he broke the hug. Her face was red and tear stained, but the smile on Miku's face told him that her visions really did pass. She was still shaking, so Mikuo gave her a pat on the head as he said, "Don't worry about those visions. Nothing is going to happen to anybody."

"Can you promise me that?" Miku asked as she looked at him, her eyes wide and doe-like.

"I promise," Mikuo did not hesitate to say.

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"Oh man," Miku heavily sighed as she walked through the town after school. "Nii-Chan is going to be so mad at me for failing my Kanji test." She looked again at her test and became even more upset when she saw all the red marks. "I could almost swear they grade with blood," Miku mumbled to herself as she kept silently whining. "Like, 'Do well on your test or we'll kill a cat.' Why does a single sheet of paper determine my entire future?" Miku sighed again. "I'm such a hopeless failure. I can see it now: I'm thirty-five, living with my brother's family, his wife will hate me for being a free loader, and I still won't be able to write a letter in Kanji. Yeah, sounds like a good future. Guess I had better start getting used to it."

Miku continued to slowly walk home. Many people passed her on foot while some of the more wealthy rode horses. The market place was buzzing with customers, and it took Miku all she had to ignore the clothes and jewelry she knew she would be tempted to buy. Finally she left the market place and came across an empty alley.

Looking around to make sure no one saw her, Miku slipped into the alley and began to smile for what she was about to do. _Certainly Nii-Chan won't mind if I'm late_ she thought as she began to run. _That stupid test got me all depressed, so now I'm going to have to take the time to cheer up._

Miku gracefully leapt over a fence as she increased her speed to her destination. Within minutes she was out of the town and was coming to a river. Their river. It was the one place she could be herself with the people who accepted her for who she was. Miku felt guilty that she kept this part of herself from Mikuo, but he would blow a gasket had he known this secret life his sister was living.

"Onee-Chan!" the voice of a girl said before its owner tackled Miku with a hug.

"Imouto-Chan!" Miku greeted the small girl with a pat on the head. Teto looked up at Miku with her large cherry eyes as she giggled in response.

"Yo, Miku-Chan!"

Looking up, Miku blushed when the boy she had her eyes on for a long time approach her. Tall, smart, well toned, dreamy eyes, handsome - what else could a girl ask for? He was even funny, kind, and had a way of making even the most bashful of people comfortable around him. Just his smile was enough to make Miku melt where she stood.

"H-hey, Gumo-Kun," Miku smiled. He was, without a doubt in all of Miku's mind, the most handsome guy in all of the Green Tribe. All of Iro, perhaps.

With a smirk on his face, Gumo asked, "Ready to break some rules today."

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Miku answered, "Do you even have to ask?"

"That's my girl," Gumo smiled before handing Miku the one thing that could get her thrown in prison if someone had ever seen her holding it. A sword.

Unlike most of the tribes in Iro, the Green Tribe was strict in sword use. Only soldiers and soldiers-in-training were allowed to wield them. However, this did not stop rebels like Gumo and Miku from illegally obtaining them and learning to fight.

Ever since she saw her first sword show when she was six, Miku had been fascinated in the skill and art of sword use. Gumo had found her merely three years ago using a long stick in the place of a sword, and after some time of building a friendship with her he had invited her to his gang. On a good day there were usually a dozen members by the river, but today it was only Gumo, Teto, and Miku. Gumo had probably been giving Teto a private lesson as the girl was still too shy to practice in front of the others. Teto was new to the group, and at age twelve she was the youngest. She looked up to and admired Miku the most, and they often referred to each other as sisters due to this.

"Just one today?" Miku asked with a cocky grin.

"Need to be sure you can still handle just one," Gumo answered.

"Good luck!" Teto cheered as she sat under the tree to watch.

"Ready," Gumo asked as he positioned his sword in hand.

"I was born ready," Miku answered.

Without a second's hesitation, Gumo lunged forward and stabbed his sword at Miku. The girl stepped out of the way and used her own sword as a shield, and to gain distance between them she used her foot to push him away. The smirk on Gumo's face was undeniable.

"You're a little rusty," he noted.

"Only warming up," Miku returned before sticking at the boy.

Gumo dodged just as easily as Miku did, and within seconds the clashing of swords echoed throughout the river. At times one would have advantage over the other, and other times no one could tell who was coming out on top. The two were equally matched and equally skilled. The competition could have gone on forever had not Teto yelled at them to stop.

"What is it, Teto-Chan?" Gumo questioned as he and Miku quit sparing.

"Soldiers!" Teto cried. When both of the teens looked at her in confusion, the red head explained, "Soldiers in black armor. I haven't seen anything like it before."

"Where are they coming from?" Gumo asked, immediately taking the role of leader. Instead of answering, Teto pointed a finger across the river where soldiers were approaching from half a mile away but had yet to see the three. The soldiers were wearing black armor, not the silvery teal of the Green Tribe.

"Hide!" Miku exclaimed in a whisper when she saw the men. She pushed Teto behind the boulder and sat between the girl and Gumo. Peeping over the rock but careful to not be seen, Miku whispered, "What do you think they want? I mean, they're not from the Green Tribe but yet they're heading towards the town."

Also whispering, Gumo replied, "I honestly have no clue. Now get down!" With that he yanked Miku back into the sitting position and waited for the group to pass.

Miku could not help but wonder what the soldiers were about. The more she thought about it the more her head began to hurt. Within time a splitting migraine erupted inside her head, and she was quietly wincing at the sudden attack. Each passing second made the pain inside her head worse.

_Do not interfere!_ a booming voice yelled inside her mind. _The time is drawing near. Your brother will make an excellent sacrifice for Musaboru._

"Miku-Chan?" Gumo gently called to her after what felt like hours had passed as Teto tapped Miku's shoulder. "They're gone. Are you all right?"

Her friends' words were unheard. All Miku could hear was how her brother was lucky to be honored as a sacrifice to the great demon and how she should not get herself involved. "NO!" she shouted as she stood up quickly, temporarily blinding herself.

"Calm down, Miku-Chan," Gumo advised. "You need to relax."

"I can't," Miku exhaled. "I have to go. Mikuo needs me." With that Miku swept down and snatched her bag. She ran as fast as she could back home, ignoring her friends as they called after her.

_Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay._ It was all Miku could think as she ran home. She heard the words in her breath. She heard the words in her footsteps. No other words existed. Everyone who saw the girl either asked what was wrong or gave her strange looks; Miku ignored the both of them. All that was on her mind was getting home to her brother.

Relief was Miku's immediate emotion when she came to their house, but that feeling was short lived when she saw how the door was no longer connected to its hinges. _Oh God, no_ she prayed. _Please don't let it be what it looks like._

Barging into the house like a mad woman, Miku began to look for a sign - any sign - that Mikuo was still home. "Nii-Chan!" she shouted as she searched the house, trying not to think about the tipped furniture. "Nii-Chan! Nii-Chan! Miko-Nii!"

Tears were trailing down her face. Tables and chairs were thrown to their sides, decorative knick knacks were scattered all over the floor, and the picture of their late parents had fallen over. Glass from the frame spread from the fallen picture all the way to the walls, the wooden frame snapped clean in two. The evidence of a struggle was impossible to ignore, but Miku still searched for her brother, praying that he would be there to give her a reasonable explanation on why the house was such a mess.

"Miko-Nii," she cried. "Please, come out and tell me you're okay. Please."

Silence.

Miku began to weep. Ever since their parents died in a fire nine years ago, her brother was all Miku had. Their uncle was a jerk who tried to kill the children while they were under his care so that he would become chief, but his plan backfired when he was caught and stoned to death. The tribe had since been living with a temporary chief, Miku and Mikuo's second cousin Sonika, until Mikuo became of age, but now that he was gone everyone would have to wait nearly four years for Miku herself to turn twenty-one and take up the role as chief of the Green Tribe.

"Yet I know nothing about being a tribe chief," Miku mused. The previous day's event of Mikuo telling Miku to study in case anything ever happened to him played itself in her head. Miku covered her mouth in order to stifle a sob.

It was then Miku noticed something lying on the floor by the desk. Picking it up, Miku saw that it was a note. She may have been bad at Kanji, but Miku could make out most of what the note said.

_Thank you for your generosity. As with the coming of the blood moon, we are glad in your willingness to cooperate. This child will forever be honored for giving his/her life to the Great Demon Musaboru._

_Praise be to Musaboru, the protector of Iro._

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><p>Author's Note: Okay, here's a real first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it and are getting pumped for what's to come. I know I am. :)<p>

-Ray


	3. Chapter 3

After making out what the note said, Miku sank to her knees as her cries and wails continued to grow louder, echoing in the otherwise empty cottage. Miku crossed her arms in front of her and slid to her side until she was lying down, the note still crumpled in her fist and her shoulders shaking from her sobs. She eventually wore herself out and passed out on the floor.

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_"Do we really have to go?" seven-year-old Miku pouted during the carriage ride. "Can't we turn around and pretend we made it there but nobody was home so we left?"_

_"No, Miku," her mother sighed for the dozenth time. "As I have mentioned already, we cannot turn down the invitation to visit the Yellow Tribe."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because it's rude," the nine-year-old reprimanded his sister. Looking at their parents for approval, the boy asked, "Isn't that right, Father?"_

_"Exactly, Mikuo," their father smiled roundly as he ruffled his son and heir's shaggy teal bangs. "The Yellow Tribe's chief would love for his children to experience the differences amongst Iro's seven tribes, and your mother and I agreed that the same would be good for you two."_

_"But I don't wanna meet people of the Yellow Tribe!" Miku exclaimed, throwing her tiny fists onto her seat. "I wanna stay home and color."_

_"Don't be so unreasonable, Sweetheart," her mother said calmly as she tucked a strand of Miku's turquoise hair behind her ear. "The chief of the Yellow Tribe has kids your age. Wouldn't you want to play with them?"_

_"No."_

_"You could at least not be so rude," Mikuo noted._

_"I don't care," Miku huffed, crossing her thin arms over her tiny chest. She didn't want to go to the Yellow Tribe. Something very bad was going to happen there, even if she didn't know what that was yet. Miku just knew that she and her family should not be there, but no argument was strong enough to convince her parents to turn around and stay away from the Yellow Tribe._

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"Mmm," Miku moaned as she began to come to. _A dream?_ she wondered as she thought the strange scene through. Miku knew that she and her family had visited the Yellow Tribe when Mikuo and she were kids, but she remembered nothing of it. Not the ride there and back, not the visit, not the people, not the friends she supposedly made, and especially not the event that is to blame for her memory loss. Was it possible that after nine years her memory was finally returning to her?

_Maybe I should ask Mikuo_ Miku thought as she sat up, surprised by how sore she was and how hard the bed felt. It was then, with a sharp intake of air and her eyelids flying open, that Miku recalled what happened the day before.

The tipped over furniture, the broken frame, the scattered home decorations - the house was never this messy under normal circumstances. Those strange soldiers came here yesterday. Mikuo tried to fight them off, but he didn't prevail. Mikuo had been kidnapped, and the crushed note in her fist was physical proof that the blood moon was upon them. Mikuo was going to be sacrificed to the Great Demon Musaboru.

"Miko . . . Nii," Miku whispered, fresh tears rolling from her eyes. Hiccups and sobs escaped her lips. "Miko-Nii!"

Shaking her head furiously, Miku decided that she was not going to sit around and cry while her brother's life was in danger. "You risk all this," a voice told Miku as a vision of her village on fire ran through her mind. The vision was so clear that it made Miku gasp.

_I had a dream like that when I was seven!_ Looking around for nothing in particular, Miku tried to make sense of it all. _That was the same time I got amnesia. That was about the same time I started having visions. It was . . . It was a warning to not interfere with the blood moon sacrifice, and perhaps my missing memories has to do with that as well._ The realization hit Miku right between the eyes. "I was being warned about this day almost my whole life!" she shouted aloud.

Miku stood up quickly, a plan already forming in her head as it escaped on her mumbling lips. "If Musaboru is so great, then why would I have visions to act as warnings? Does Musaboru . . . Does Musaboru actually see me as a threat?"

It was a foolish plan, but it was all Miku had to go on. As quick as a flash, Miku took a large bag and stuffed some food, a few knives, and a map inside. With one last look at her home - Mikuo's and her home - Miku left everything behind without even bothering to look back.

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"Miku-Chan!" Gumo yelled when he saw said girl approaching, walking halfway to meet her. Most of the gang was there that day, people whom Miku knew fairly well. "What happened yesterday? You left all of a sudden."

"They took Mikuo," was the first thing that flew out of Miku's mouth.

"What?" Gumo asked, his brows furrowing together. Instead of answering, Miku handed the boy the note. He inspected it for a minute, read it over again to make sure he understood everything, and said, "Oh my gosh. Miku-Chan, I'm so sorry."

"I need your help," Miku said. Seeing Gumo's confused expression, Miku explained, "I'm going after Musaboru and I am going to slay him before anything can happen to Mikuo. I want you to come with me."

Silence lingered for a moment too long. "What?" Gumo finally asked, as if to make sure he was hearing Miku correctly.

"I want you to come with me," Miku repeated. "Gumo-Kun, you're the best swordsman I know. Your partnership would mean everything to me. I want you to come with me. I want you to help me slay Musaboru."

Gumo's face was ashen pale. "You can't be serious," he said quietly.

"Of course I'm serious!" Miku snapped. Those who watched did nothing to involve themselves in the conversation. "What if it were Gumi? What would you do if it were your own sister?" She didn't want to go there, but Miku needed to try everything in her power to convince Gumo to go with her.

Biting his lip, Gumo forced the words out. "My sister is dead."

"And now my brother is going to die if I don't do anything," Miku whispered. She was hoping for Gumo to understand, but the way he started shaking his head told Miku otherwise.

"I'm not going, Miku-Chan," he said to her, his decision absolute. "Your plan is absurd and insane. You will get yourself killed before you are even close to finding Mikuo-San. The better option is to stay here and let the sacrifice happen. At least that way you won't be risking our lives."

The rejection hit Miku in the heart. She had desperately wanted his company, but she knew Gumo was too stubborn for her to get him to change his mind now that his decision was made up. However, that didn't stop her from trying. "Gumo-Kun," she practically whispered, "he's my brother."

"And Mikuo-San wouldn't want you risking your life on this suicide mission for him," Gumo replied. "It's not safe, Miku-Chan. I'm not going, and neither are you."

The words hung in the air as the two stared at each other, their differences in the situation starting to replace years of friendship. "Fine," Miku said the words as if they were bitter poison, "I'll go by myself."

Miku went to retrieve her sword, but Luki, Gumo's closest friend in the gang, snatched it from its place before Miku could touch it. "I'd like to have that back," Miku said as she held out her hand.

"Sorry, Miku-Chan," Luki apologized, "but I have to agree with Gumo-Kun. It's far too dangerous for you to risk your life like this."

"I don't care!" Miku yelled as she reached for the sword only for Luki to pull it further out of her reach. "Gumo-Kun!" she yelled at the boy. "Tell Luki-Kun to give me my sword."

"I can't, Miku-Chan," Gumo and. "That's not your sword."

Giving Gumo a look of disbelief, Miku gaped, "But I helped you steal it!"

"_Helped_," Gumo emphasized. "Technically speaking, the sword isn't yours. I'm the one who holds on to it. I'm the one who risks execution if he gets caught with it. Because of this I will not be allowing you to have the sword."

Miku's eyes began to sting. "So you're going to let me head out on this mission weaponless?" she asked.

"No," Gumo answered as he shook his head, "I'm hoping that by not arming you I will be saving you from getting yourself killed over something you don't have a chance against."

"I'll die quicker if I don't have a weapon to defend myself with," Miku pointed out.

"You won't die at all if you stay here," Gumo replied. "Look, Miku-Chan, I can't have you getting yourself killed. Especially now. . . ."

The words floated inside Miku's head as she tried to make sense of the words. "Why especially now of all times?" she asked.

"Because," Gumo tried to answer. Taking a deep breath, he again answered, "Because on your birthday I was planning on proposing to you."

The confession completely paralyzed Miku. She had always liked Gumo, and at times she would fancy herself in love with the boy, but never would she have imagined him to so much as propose to her. By the end of the summer she would be seventeen, an age legal for engagement, but she wouldn't have thought she would get a proposal any time shortly after. "You were going to ask me to marry you?" the question came out in no more than a whisper.

Nodding, Gumo confirmed it. "I was hoping to surprise you, but now this thing with your brother is making you want to throw your life over something pointless."

"It's not pointless!" Miku exclaimed. "Nothing about saving Mikuo's life is pointless."

"It is if he's going to be sacrificed to Musaboru," Gumo said. After a deafening silence roared around them, Gumo said, "How about I propose now? If yes, tell me you won't go on this suicide quest. If no, then turn around and leave. I won't stop you, but I won't provide you with weapons either."

It was a simple request, or so it seemed. The answers both gnawed at Miku's heart. On one hand she could happily live the rest of her life as Gumo's wife, and on the other she could risk and possibly lose her life saving her brother. One choice meant living her life with someone she loved, the other could mean failure to protect her brother and possibly her own death. Miku wanted both, she wanted to save Mikuo and then settle down with the one boy she ever loved; but she knew it was one or the other, and she had to make her choice right then.

"I would be honored to be your wife," Miku said, "but I cannot get married when my brother is going to be sacrificed to a demon." Turning away, Miku allowed her own rejection to act as revenge. She could feel Gumo's heart break, and it only broke hers even more. "Goodbye, Gumo-Kun," she called over her shoulder as she, same with her home, didn't bother to look back.

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The tears in her eyes blurred her vision, meaning Miku did not know someone was coming her way until she ran into the person. "Sorry," Miku mumbled, somewhat on autopilot. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Are you all right, Miku-Onee-Chan?"

Recognition hit Miku as the voice filled her hears. Only one person she knew called her "Onee-Chan."

"Teto-Imouto-Chan," Miku whispered. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked down at the red head, whose narrowed eyes and puckered lips showed obvious concern.

"What's wrong, Onee-Chan?" she asked. "Did you and Gumo-San have a fight?"

"No, Imouto-Chan," Miku answered as she wiped her eyes. "Those soldiers yesterday . . . they took my brother."

"Why would they do that?" Teto looked up at Miku. She was too young to comprehend any of it. Teto didn't know much about the sacrifices for Musaboru. How could she understand?

"It doesn't matter why they did it," Miku replied, "all that matters is that they did it. I'm going to save my brother, and Gumo-Kun isn't helping me."

"Why won't he?" Teto asked. "He should help you save your brother. He should!" Taking Miku's hand, Teto began to pull her along as she said, "We're going to have a talk with Gumo-San."

"No," Miku said as she pulled her hand free. "You don't understand. This mission is very dangerous. I could die."

That last word made Teto freeze in place. When she spoke, her words came out too slowly. "You could die, and Gumo-San won't help you?"

"Yeah," Miku whispered.

Tackling the older girl with a hug, Teto cried, "Don't go, Onee-Chan! Don't go. I don't want you to die!"

"Imouto-Chan," Miku tried to sooth the tiny girl as she rubbed her back, "I have to go. Mikuo's my brother, and you don't just leave your family behind like that. You don't abandon the people you love."

"Then why is Gumo-San abandoning you?" Teto sniffled.

The words turned Miku's blood to ice. "I don't know," she slowly responded, "but that doesn't matter. I'm going to save my brother, whether or not Gumo-Kun comes with me."

"I'm going with you," Teto declared as she pulled away from Miku.

"No," Miku said quickly. "No, you're not coming."

"Why not?" Teto demanded. "Is it because I'm too little? I know you and Gumo-San think I'm just a kid, but I'm not a little girl who's too stupid to know what's happening!"

Teto was right, Miku and Gumo weren't giving Teto the credit she deserved. However, Miku was not about to risk the life of a child, no matter how old she was. Thinking up an answer fast, Miku replied, "No, Sweetie. I need you here to spy on Gumo-Kun."

"Spy on Gumo-San?" Even the request sounded weird to Teto.

"Yes, spy on Gumo-Kun," Miku nodded her head. She didn't know where the idea came from, but there was no turning back now. "I need someone here who I trust very much to tell me what he's been doing while I was gone. I need someone on the inside to - how do I say this? - keep an eye on the suspect."

"And you want me to do that?" Teto asked.

"There's no one else I trust to do that!" Miku answered. "Why, Imouto-Chan, you're perfect for the job." Seeing Teto's cherry red eyes widening in wonder, Miku continued, "There's no one else more reliable than you."

"Whoa," Teto gaped. As smart as she was, the red head was still painfully naïve.

"So what do you say?" Miku asked. "Can I trust you with this secret mission?"

"Yes!" Teto answered as she violently nodded her head. "You can trust me!"

"That's my girl," Miku smiled. "Now run along before Gumo-Kun realizes you're late."

"Yes, Onee-Chan!" Teto replied. She started to run off before turning around and saying, "Miku-Onee-Chan, don't die. Promise me you won't die."

"I promise, Imouto-Chan," Miku said. When Teto looked at her with doubt, Miku gave the child her best reassuring smile. Teto bought it. The little girl gave Miku one last hug goodbye before running to the river.

A heavy sigh escaped Miku's lips as soon as Teto was gone. She didn't want to lie to the girl, but she had to find some way from making Teto not worry. "I'll be back," Miku said with confidence. "And when I do Gumo-Kun and the rest will see how wrong they are."

Miku unraveled the map and decided where she needed to go. The mountain claimed to be Musaboru's home was in between the Red Tribe and the Purple Tribe. "Okay," Miku decided, "off to the Blue Tribe it is. First order of business when I get there: buy a sword, maybe two."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Because if Miku-Sama did the smart, reasonable thing and stayed in the Green Tribe and married Gumo-Kun instead of risking her life on a practical suicide mission this fanfic would really suck. Bravery and stupidity are known to pass as identical twins, but characters who are willing to risk everything are the characters who give us the best stories. :)<p>

-Ray


	4. Chapter 4

Despite the Green Tribe and the Blue Tribe being neighbors, the journey was still longer than anticipated. By the time Miku had gotten there, the sun had risen that very next day.

"Note to self," Miku huffed as she entered through the gates, "_never_walk through the entire night without resting." Doubling over, Miku spent a moment or two catching her breathe. Once she had recovered Miku stood upright and observed her surroundings.

Seeing people - men, women, children - busy themselves in the marketplace, Miku felt a sudden wave of homesickness. _No_ Miku thought._ I can't be homesick, especially now that I've just left. I need to be strong. I have to be strong if I'm going to save Mikuo._

After much persistence and plenty of asking around - some people polite while others pretended to not see her, Miku finally found directions to the swords shop. "What can I do for you?" the cheerful store owner asked as Miku walked under the tent.

"I'm looking to buy," Miku said as she examined the swords on display. "Do you happen to have two identical swords that are lightweight yet sturdy?"

"A dual blades master, I assume?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir," Miku answered when she came across two matching sheaths. "I'll take these as well," Miku said as she pointed towards them.

"In a moment, miss," the shopkeeper said as he walked behind the curtain. "I think I might have what you're looking for in the back."

"I'll wait," Miku said as she kept her eyes glued to the swords. There were large bulky ones, smaller curved ones, and some right in the middle. There were shields, too, but Miku didn't think much of them.

"Shields weigh you down," Miku remembered Gumo tell her when she first asked about shields. "If you want to really fight, you need to rely on speed and instinct. Only cowards hide behind shields."

_Gumo _Miku sighed as she placed a hand over her heart. _Why didn't you come with me? Why did you leave me by myself? I'm . . . I'm too scared to do this alone._

"Be careful. You're going to flash someone your panties if you wear short skirts like that."

Miku jumped at the sound of the voice. When that same voice began to laugh, Miku whipped her head completely around to see a boy laughing at her. "Sh-shut up," Miku said, a blush filling out her cheeks. "You would have to be a pervert to look there anyway."

The boy stopped laughing and gave Miku a cocky grin. He didn't look too tall, perhaps an inch or two taller than herself, but his round face told Miku that the boy was probably around fourteen. He was wearing a brown coat with sleeves longer than his arms, and he had his blond hair tied up in a high ponytail. "I don't have to be a pervert to notice how short your skirt is," he continued. "You're practically flashing everyone each time you take a step."

With her face growing redder, Miku looked at herself and discovered in horror what she was wearing. _In my rush to save Mikuo I never thought of changing from my school uniform!_

Her uniform consisted of a white button up shirt, a green tie, and - true to the boy's words - a much-too-short green plaid skirt. She was still wearing her knee high white socks and black dress shoes to top it off.

Pulling on the hem of her skirt, Miku couldn't help but think, _Why didn't I think so much as changing before I left? I remembered food and money, but not clothes? What's wrong with me?!_

"Just leave me alone," Miku said, her tone wavering from embarrassment.

"Why?" the boy flashed a toothy smirk. "Am I bothering you?"

Miku was about to answer before the shopkeeper came back to the front of the store. "I hope these swords fit your taste," he said to Miku as he laid out two blue-green swords.

Forgetting about the boy, Miku picked up one of the swords and swiped it around to test how it felt. The weight was good, Miku decided, and the sharpness of the blade seemed to be exactly what she was looking for. "They're perfect," Miku said.

"Wonderful," the man said. "Those swords plus the sheaths will total to 1,600 jewel."

Miku's eyes widened a bit at the price, but she deemed it to be fair and paid without question. "Thank you for your business, miss," the man said as he handed Miku her newly purchased tools.

"It was a pleasure shopping here," Miku said as she placed the swords behind her back, strapping the sheaths across her chest. As she tried to leave, she caught sight of the boy still standing where he had been previously. "Now only if everyone else could be as pleasant."

"I didn't know you were a swordsman," the boy smirked as Miku walked past him.

"I'm a swords_woman_," Miku corrected as she kept trudging forward. "As a matter of fact, I'm one the best I know."

"Oh really?" the boy raised an eyebrow. "I'm also one of the best I know."

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the speaker. It was then Miku noticed the sword and shield strapped to his back._He's a swordsman, too_ Miku realized.

"Bet ya can't beat me," the boy said confidently. Much too confidently.

"Oh yeah?" Miku asked. "I bet you wouldn't be able to stand a chance against me." _What am I doing? I've never fought anyone outside of Gumo's gang before, and being the best out of a group of swordsmen who trained illegally doesn't count for much. This boy could be better than me by a lot for all I know!_

"Then let's prove it in a duel," the boy answered. "One-on-one, just you and me. First person to drop his weapons loses."

_I should just say no _Miku thought. _I should just tell him that I have better things to do than entertain a child like him._

"You're on," was what Miku actually said. Realizing too late what she had told him, Miku had no choice but to listen to what the boy was now saying.

"Meet me at the arena at noon," the boy said. "The stage with the river should be vacant by then. No ditching. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Miku replied. As the boy turned around to leave, Miku called after him. "Hey! Hey you! What's your name?!"

The boy cast Miku a lazy glance before answering. "My name's Kagamine."

"That's it?" Miku snorted. "Just Kagamine? No given name?"

"Until I say you can know my given name," the boy responded, "it's Kagamine to you."

Miku watched his retreating figure. _He didn't ask my name_ Miku noticed. _He probably doesn't even see me as competition. Whatever, I'll prove him wrong. I'll get you, Kagamine. I'm going to enjoy beating you._

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_I don't have time for this!_ Miku scowled on her way to the arena._Mikuo is in danger, and here I am entertaining some obnoxious jerk who thinks he's better than me! Well, he probably is better than me, but I can't let on that I think that. Ugh! Should I just ditch? I know he said no ditching, but I have no time for this right now. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I will just turn around and walk away and-_

"There you are!" the Kagamine boy called when he saw Miku walk into the arena.

"Kuso!" she swore under her breath. _What was I thinking, walking here while trying to talk myself out of coming?_

"I didn't think you were gonna show," the boy smirked.

One look at his smug face and all Miku wanted to do was slice the little bozo in half. "Let's get this over with," she growled. "I have more important places to be than amusing some sorry excuse for an elf."

"Elf?" the boy sneered.

"Did you get kicked out of the tree for bad attitude?" Miku provoked. "Or did you burn the place down while baking cookies so now you're homeless?"

"Very funny," he mumbled.

"That's why I'm laughing," Miku grinned.

"I'm going to enjoy kicking your butt," the boy said as he adjusted his shield and gripped his sword.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Miku asked as she unsheathed her twin blades.

"Bring. It. On," the boy said. "First move is yours, Cupcake."

Narrowing her eyes, Miku gritted her teeth and began to charge. "Nobody calls me 'Cupcake'!" she yelled as she swung a sword at him.

The boy used his shield to block the blow, leaving him completely unaffected by Miku's strike. "Hit a weak spot, didn't I?" he chuckled before using his own sword to slash at Miku.

Miku dodged the attack by simply stepping out of the way. She jumped backwards as she prepared her next attack. Before she could move, however, the boy began to run towards her. Her first instinct was to prepare to block her left, as he held his sword in his right hand, but a moment too late did she see the boy using the momentum to put power into his shield as he swung it her way.

_He uses his shield as a weapon?_ was the thought that crossed Miku's mind shortly before she was hit in her ribs by the thing. She stumbled to her side and fell on one knee.

"Didn't expect that, did ya?" the boy asked as he sent his sword hurling towards Miku.

Using both of her swords to block the blow, Miku answered, "I didn't expect you to use such clunky thing to strike with. Now that I know I won't let my guard down again." With that the girl jumped to her feet and again tried to strike the boy.

The clashing of metal echoed throughout the arena. Strike after expertly executed strike followed from the both of them. Neither could land a blow on the other. They were equally matched. It was only when Miku got careless did the depth of the fight break.

In the split second she stopped focusing on her opponent to see where a strange sound came from, the boy took advantage of her lack of attention and swung his sword her way. Miku noticed in time to lean away from the metal, the blade just barely scrapping her cheek.

"Oi!" she shouted, the odd noise that distracted her forgotten. "What are you trying to do? Kill me?!"

"You were losing focus," the boy grinned as he kept a distance from Miku. "I wasn't going to really slice your face off. I only wanted to snap you back in the game."

"I don't need you to play with me to bring me back to our little duel," Miku claimed.

"I hope that's true," the boy smirked. "You're not a half bad opponent."

"I'm only just getting started," Miku said before charging the boy again. Their swords clashed with each swing. Again their skills were tied, but as the fight went on the more intense it became.

Both of them were studying the other's fighting style and worked to fight against it. Even the tiniest of tricks were adjusted to throw off the other, but one would always catch on and change whatever needed to be changed to match the pace. It seemed there would never be a winner.

Miku and the boy stopped each other's strike midway, leaving their free arms ready to attract. The boy began sending his shield her way, but Miku caught on faster than he anticipated. "No you don't," she growled as she used the butt of her hilt to block the blow. "I'm not going to let you win," she vowed.

"Ditto," the boy smirked before he pushed her away.

Before she could do anything, Miku's vision began to change. _Not now. Please, any time but now._

There, lying right in front of her, was a dead body. What got to Miku wasn't that she was seeing some dead person, but that the deceased in front of her was someone she deeply cared about. It was strange for Miku to feel so empty over the loss, especially since she couldn't clearly see the face of this person she supposedly loved.

_"If you don't want to lose the person you love most, you will not interfere with the sacrifice."_

It was the kick to the stomach and her back slamming onto a wall that brought Miku back to reality. She snapped open her eyes to see the boy readying his sword for a final blow. "This victory is mine," he claimed.

Fury rose inside of Miku. She should be looking for her brother, but instead she was messing with this jerk. Mikuo needed to be saved immediately, and this boy was standing in her way.

"No," Miku replied as she stood to her shaky feet, "I will be the victor. I will come out on top." Preparing her swords for her final attack, she ran towards the boy as she yelled, "I WILL BE THE ONE TO OVERCOME ANYTHING THAT STANDS IN MY WAY!"

The fight was at its most intense at that point. Each one of Miku's blows grew stronger, faster, and deadlier. No matter how much he tried, the boy could not keep up with Miku's newfound strength. She was determined to win, and that determination was intimidating enough.

"DIE!" Miku shouted as she pushed the boy over to the point he was stumbling. Before he could regain his balance, Miku kicked him into the river that circled the arena.

Standing proudly over the water, Miku sheathed her swords and said as calmly as possible, "I win."

Emerging from the water, the boy began to laugh. "I underestimated you," he admitted, grinning. "You have some serious skills!"

"Years of hard work and dedication," Miku sternly said.

The boy dragged himself out of the water, shook out his blond hair, and said with a laugh, "I suppose I should probably introduce myself now, huh? I'm Kagamine Len."

"That's nice," Miku nonchalantly replied, ignoring the boy's sudden attitude adjustment, as she began to turn away.

"Wait," Len called, stopping Miku in her tracks. "I don't believe I caught your name."

Unsure why she said what she did, Miku replied, "I'm Hatsune Miku."

"And I'm Shion Kaito," a voice introduced, causing Miku's and Len's heads to snap in the direction of the voice.

Before them stood a man who had to in his late teens with shaggy midnight hair and matching eyes. He was dressed in loose white pants and a sky blue pirate shirt. The ring he wore on his left middle finger sparkled in the sunlight.

"May I ask what you are doing here?" Miku asked as politely as she could manage, a difficult task as she was still irritated with herself for wasting time by sparring Len.

With a boyish grin, Kaito answered, "I saw the way the both of you fought. You kids have some real talent with a sword."

_So that's what distracted me. I was hearing this man come in the arena to watch us._

"Uh, thanks," Len said, now out of the water and dripping as he sat by the edge.

Ignoring Len, Kaito continued, "I have been looking for swordsmen with talent such as yours. You two are a fine set, and I would love to have your skills put to use."

"Meaning?" Miku asked.

Kaito answered Miku by asking a question. "How would you two like to be the bodyguards to the son of the chief of the Blue Tribe?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So we get to meet Len-Kun in this chapter! :3 I know it seems super random and unrealistic for him to challenge a complete stranger to a duel, but I promise he did it for a good reason! You just have to wait and see~.<p>

-Ray


	5. Chapter 5

_The bodyguard for son of the Blue Tribe's chief?_ Miku silently questioned as she looked the man over. He stood tall and with pride. He had a clean shave, freshly pressed clothes, and smelled of fine oiled perfume. At first Miku stood confused by why a rich man would be searching for someone to guard the son of the chief, but then it occurred to her that not all tribes were like her own. This wasn't just another rich man, this was someone important. Someone who carried himself with a pride he knew he was born with.

"Wait, _you're_ a son of the chief of the Blue Tribe?" Miku asked in disbelief. _Why hasn't he been taken yet?_

With a smirk on his face, Kaito answered, "The one and only."

"So you're an only child?" Miku concluded as a question, her brows furrowed.

"Yeah, but I have a handful of cousins," Kaito shrugged, as if the information wasn't important.

"I see," Miku mused. _If he's still here then that means he'll be taken soon. If I get to be his bodyguard I can probably take a soldier and force him to tell me where Mikuo is. This is all too perfect!_

"And why do you want us to be your bodyguards?" Len sneered. "Why do you need to be protected so badly?"

Miku snapped her head in the blond's direction and gave him the stink eye. She wanted to silence him before he could ruin her chances of working for Kaito, but thankfully the bluet didn't seem bothered by Len's rude question.

"Let's just say these are dangerous times to be a child of the chief," Kaito replied, his eyes revealing that he knew far more than he was saying.

_He knows!_ Miku knew her eyes were wide, but that didn't stop her from drawing attention to herself when she said, "I suppose I wouldn't mind working for you, but what kind of payments am I expected to get?" _Good, good. Try to seem interested in work. Don't let on that you know what Kaito-San does._

Despite Miku hearing the desperation in her own voice, Kaito sounded even more so as he responded with, "Three thousand jewel a month, with two hundred jewel immediate payment if you agree to start right now."

Miku almost passed out. _He must really be desperate if he's willing to pay so much! Okay, I only want to have a chance to get to Mikuo, but I should probably act like the money interests me. All right, Miku-Chan, don't seem desperate. Pull the tough business girl act Gumo had me master._

However, before Miku could open her mouth to tell Kaito his deal sounded fair, Len said, "Make the immediate payment four hundred jewel and you have a deal on my part."

When Kaito hesitated, Miku had to surpass the urge to smack Len in the back of his head for ruining her chance to get close to Mikuo's kidnappers. It was to her very surprise Kaito said, "Agreed." To Miku, "Does the deal sound appealing to you?"

"It does," Miku hoped she didn't say too quickly.

"Great," Kaito looked relieved, "you start right now. Come, I'll show you to my home."

As Miku followed close behind Kaito, Len leaned in close to her and said, "Guess we're coworkers now."

A groan at not realizing that fact sooner almost made it past Miku's lips. "Just don't get in my way," Miku warned. The last thing she needed was for the cocky blond to screw up all her chances of saving Mikuo.

"Stay out of mine and I think we'll get along well enough," Len replied.

"Good, neither of us can stand each other," Miku spat.

"Just don't ruin this for me," Len said as he stalked ahead of her, resulting in Miku having to run to catch up to the men.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Holy moly," Miku whispered at the sight of Kaito's house. Despite her father being the chief, Miku had always lived in a smaller home that almost everyone else had, but Kaito's home was large and overlooked the ocean. The walls were a shade of blue so light that the building looked white from a distance, and the window frames were a rich midnight. The door was made of mahogany, and the porch of marble stones.

_No wonder money isn't a problem for him_ Miku thought as she ran her thin fingers along the white iron railing on the front porch. _His toilet must be made of solid silver!_

"The two of you will have to fill out a few forms," Kaito warned as he lead the teens into the foyer, "but I promise you it will only take half a minute."

Miku had to surpass a gasp when she saw the inside of the mansion. The marble floor was so shiny she could see her own reflection with absolute clarity. The chandelier above was made of glass, leading Miku to awe at its beauty. She had to be careful to not touch anything least she would have to spend the rest of her life working to repay whatever her clumsy self was bound to break.

Kaito led the teens up the stairs and down a long hall. The blue-green carpet looked so soft Miku was tempted to lean down and touch it, and the windows were the most spotless she had ever seen. When they came to a stop, Miku noticed the two large French doors Kaito stood in front of.

"This is my office," Kaito said as he opened one of the large doors. "I share it with my cousins Zeito and Kaiko, so don't be surprised if either of them walk in on us." With how big his house was, it surprised Miku that Kaito actually shared an office.

Either to her relief or disappointment, the office was nowhere near as nice as the rest of the mansion. It was simple, like any other office Miku had ever seen, but the view of the ocean was spectacular. Three desk each took up a September sky blue wall that didn't have the door, and the round carpet in the middle was indigo with gold edges, a silver star in the very middle. The Blue Tribe flag.

"This is so lovely!" Realizing she had said that aloud, Miku threw her hand over her mouth and apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Kaito laughed. "My cousin Kaiko decorated it, and she would love to hear that at least someone agrees with her taste in furniture."

"Must be a girl thing," Len said, screwing up his face in disgust at the daisies on the desk on the left.

"Exactly what my other cousin, Zeito, said," Kaito shrugged as he stood behind the desk at the end of the room. Digging in his desk drawer, he pulled out a mass of documents and began searching through them for the papers he was looking for. "Here," he pulled out two single sheets, "all you need to put down is your name, age, birth date, place of education, and previous occupation."

"It's that simple?" Len raised an eyebrow.

"We usually do background checks, but there's no time for that right now."

Watching Len nod, Miku wondered if the boy had any idea what he was getting himself into. Sooner or later Kaito will be taken, and Miku wouldn't put it past the kidnappers to kill whoever got in their way. Despite possibility of getting herself killed, Miku was willing to do everything necessary to get her brother back, but Len? There wasn't a single doubt in Miku's mind that if Len knew the risks having this job came with he would be long gone.

_Besides_ Miku mentally decided _it's not as if he has anything worth fighting for._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cerulean eyes met his own when Mikuo awoke. Looking down on his lying figure was a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair tied back with a white ribbon. She pinched her lips together and relaxed them again, her large eyes drinking him in.

"So you're not dead after all," was all she said with her surprisingly cute voice.

"Where am I?" Mikuo groaned as he covered his face with his hands.

"You're here in a hidden away cave, waiting in preparation to be sacrificed to Musaboru," the girl didn't hesitate to answer. Mikuo tried to bolt upright, but he got so dizzy from the action he went blind. "Take it easy," the girl advised as she pushed the tealet back down. "You just woke up; give your body time to adjust."

"I can't believe I'm going to be a sacrifice," Mikuo moaned, his sight coming back to him. "Who's going to take care of my sister now?"

"We all have family," the girl replied, "and each and every one of them is going to have to adjust to life without us now."

"You seem very accepting of your impending death," Mikuo observed.

"Only because there's no way to fight it," the girl sighed. When Mikuo didn't respond she asked, "What's your name?"

"Geez, woman, you're quick to change the topic," Mikuo said, annoyed by how calm this girl was acting even though she knew soon enough she will be killed for the sake of a demon.

"Funny," the girl cocked her head to the side, "that's what my boyfriend always says."

When the passing minutes told Mikuo that the girl was going to keep staring down on him and not talk again until he introduced himsel, he said, "My name is Hatsune Mikuo."

"I knew it was you, Mikuo-Kun!" the girl instantly beamed, quick to use the friendly honorific.

"How do you know me? Who you are?" Mikuo asked, trying to understand why the girl was looking at him as if he were a long lost friend of hers.

"Don't you remember me?" she questioned, furrowing her brows. Shaking her head before smiling as sweetly as possible, the girl answered, "Well, it's been a really long time, so I can't blame you for not recognizing me right away. Mikuo-Kun, my name Kagamine Rin. Your little sister and I used to be best friends!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: How's for that little plot twist? First Hatsune Miku and Kagamine Len meet, and now Hatsune Mikuo and Kagamine Rin meet again? Rin-Chan and Miku-Sama used to be best friends? Something's going on here, and I can assure you that Rin-Chan isn't simply mistaking Mikuo-Kun for somebody else. Have fun figuring this all out~!<p>

-Ray


	6. Chapter 6

It took Miku no time at all to fill out the form. When she was finished, her eyes, against her will she would later swear, flashed to Len's paper. Noticing something on the paper, Miku blurted before she could stop herself, "You're older than me?!"

Len cast Miku a quizzical look. "Why you ask?" he replied, an eyebrow raised.

"It's just . . . ," Miku trailed off before beginning again. "You don't look seventeen at all. I honestly believed that you're fourteen, or at least until now I did."

Scowling, Len replied, "I do not look that young."

"You kinda do," Miku shrugged, earning an even deeper scowl from the boy.

"You do look fourteen," Kaito nodded.

"See? Even Shion-San agrees with me," Miku said as she nonchalantly handed said man her form.

"So puberty is taking a long time to kick in, no big deal," Len mumbled as he, too, handed Kaito his sheet of paper.

"Moving on," Kaito said as he scanned the papers, "you two start now."

"And the starting payment?" Len asked, making Miku want to slap the blond for his rude behavior. _Doesn't he have any manners to speak of?_ she thought as she cast him a well aimed glare.

"I shall get that for you now," Kaito said as he rose to his feet. Without waiting to be beckoned, Miku and Len followed after the man.

"Did you really have to mention the starting payment?" Miku hissed under her breath as she and Len followed Kaito down the hall.

"Yes, I did," Len replied just as quietly. "It's how I know I won't be cheated out." Wearing a cocky grin, the blond added, "Besides, having a little money will be nice."

Miku screwed up her face in disgust. "Is that all you care about? Just the money?"

With a shrug Len replied, "So what if it is?"

"You disgust me," Miku retorted, her tone bitter.

"Then why did you agree to be Shion-San's bodyguard?" Len challenged. "If not the money, then what? Certainly there must be a good reason behind your agreement to the job if it has nothing to do with the more than generous payment."

_He's clever, I'll give him that_ Miku thought even though she hated to admit it to herself. Aloud she said, "Perhaps all I wanted to do is protect someone important. Or maybe," Miku leaned in and loudly whispered, "I would like to get acquainted with Shion-San, if you know what I mean."

"Keep dreaming," Len snorted. "Like he'd ever go for a flat chested girl like you. Or any sane man, for that matter."

It didn't take the burning in her cheeks to tell Miku she was blushing. "Maybe you're not the only one who's waiting for puberty to finally work it's magic." There was no lie in that statement; Miku, despite being sixteen, had yet to start her monthly cycles.

"At least I don't need puberty to make me attractive," Len smirked before quickening his pace. He looked over his shoulder and said, "You would be lucky to find a boy stupid enough to even consider you an option."

Digging her fingernails into her palms to the point she drew blood, Miku mumbled, "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him and feel nothing."

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"Nice to see you again, Kagamine-San," Mikuo said even though there was nothing he found about the meeting nice. Sure, seeing Rin again was a pleasant surprise, but that pleasantry quickly feel apart when Mikuo realized that if Rin was here, she was going to be sacrificed to Musaboru, too.

"Might as well call me by my given name, since you used to call me 'Rin-Chan' when we were younger," Rin smiled. "By the way, how's . . . um . . . What's your sister's name again? Miki? Mizki? Mayu?"

"Miku," Mikuo supplied. _She says she and Miku used to be best friends, yet she can't even remember Miku's name?_

"That's right, Miku-Chan!" Rin exclaimed. "Oh the trouble we would get ourselves into. I remember she was just so sassy and full of spunk, the perfect personality to become instant best friends with me." Giggling, Rin added, "Miku-Chan never studied either, so we bonded over our failures as test takers."

"She still doesn't study," Mikuo laughed as he again attempted sitting up. Rin helped him by pulling his arms forward, and with minor difficulty Mikuo was sitting upright. "She's still sassy and spunky, too, something that gets her in a lot of trouble at school."

"Have you forgotten about me and my tutors?" Rin snorted. "Miku-Chan can't be as bad as me."

"Trust me, Rin-Chan," Mikuo nodded, "you two would instantly hit it off all over again if you had the chance to talk to each other."

Her smile falling to a frown, Rin mumbled, "Miku-Chan never sent me a letter like she promised. She said that the moment your family made it home she was going to send me a letter so we could begin exchanging them to keep contact." Looking down, Rin blinked back building tears, showing Mikuo that what she was telling him still hurt her despite how long ago the incident was. "I know you and Miku-Chan returned home under . . . stressful and sorrowful conditions, but I waited. I honestly believed that the moment things settled down enough Miku-Chan would write to me, but as the weeks turned into months, and the months into years, I finally realized that I was never getting that letter."

"Rin-Chan . . ." Mikuo started to reach out to put a hand of comfort on Rin's shoulder, but after a second's hesitation he thought better of the action and dropped his hand. "You and Miku were good friends, anyone could see that, but when we made it home . . ." Rin's large, teary cerulean eyes met Mikuo's teal orbs, and he knew immediately that what he was about to say would be hard for the blonde to believe.

"Rin-Chan, Miku doesn't remember anything. Not the trip to the Yellow Tribe, not you, and definitely not that she was supposed to write to you. I had meant to send you a letter to let you know what had happened to her, but one thing lead to another and, before I knew it, it was three years later. I should have sent you that letter anyway, but I never did. Now I realize what a mistake that was, and I'm truly, very sorry."

Breathing out slowly, Rin wiped the moisture from her eyes and said, "It's okay, I forgive you. I mean, I can't blame you for having a lot to deal with, it just would have been nice to know. As for Miku-Chan, she doesn't remember me, at all?"

"She wouldn't know you if she saw you," Mikuo shook his head. "I tried at first to tell her about you, but each time she came out even more confused than before. I eventually gave up and just let it be."

Silence, and then, "I see."

"Wait, you actually believe me?" Miku questioned, screwing up his face in surprise.

"Of course I believe you," Rin replied, her face hard.

"Well why so easily, just like that?" Mikuo asked.

"Oh, um . . ." Rin looked away and answered, "I just do, okay? It's not like there's any other reasonable excuse why Miku never wrote me, and having an amnesiac sister to deal with also explains away your inability to let me know what happened to her."

"I'm sorry," Mikuo repeated, feeling even more guilty than before for letting his contact with Rin slip away. He could have written her at any time, yet he chose to let the years between them be his excuse to not pick up a quill. He was going to regret this, he knew, until the day of the sacrifice.

"Dont worry about it," Rin shrugged. "We're going to die soon anyway, so might as well enjoy the company we will be having without holding any unnecessary grudges before we get our throats mercilessly slit and our blood drained out of our bodies. That reminds me . . ." Rin looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Meiko-Chan, he's not dead after all! You owe me a dinner roll!"

"Meiko?" Mikuo questioned, brows furrowing together.

"Come on," Rin encouraged as she took hold of Mikuo's arm and helped him to his feet, all signs of her previous depressed demeanor gone. "You should meet the others."

"Others?"

"Seriously," Rin rolled her eyes, "what part of every firstborn of each tribe's chief did you not understand? Until the blood moon, each representative of our own respective tribe is going to be kept here."

Not knowing how to respond, Mikuo followed close behind Rin as she led him to another section of the cave - or at least Mikuo assumed they were in a cave. "Over there with the short brown hair is Meiko," Rin pointed out a girl in a red top that exposed her midsection and a short white skirt. Her outfit didn't leave a lot of room for the imagination, Mikuo noted, but knew better than to stare. "Meiko is from the Red Tribe," Rin continued, "and those two girls over there, they're Anon and Kanon from the Orange Tribe."

"Two firstborn children?" Mikuo raised an eyebrow. He could have sworn that even with twins someone had to be the rightful elder child.

"Nobody knows which one of us is the older twin," the twin with the long hair said, "so the both of us were taken for good measure."

"And the mean men cut my hair so they could tell us apart," the girl with her hair cut chin length pouted.

The twins had light brown hair and honey gold eyes and were sitting on the ground with the older brunette. The long haired girl wore a black shirt and trousers while the girl with the short hair wore a pure white dress.

"We were talking about our families," the short hairs girl then said, "and Meiko was just telling us about her sister. You need to join us, Rin-Chan, or else you might miss the rest of the story."

"Mikuo-Kun was just telling me about his sister, so I'm set of for now," Rin waved off.

"But don't you want to tell us about your siblings?" the girl persisted.

Meeting her in the eyes, Rin responded, "I'm an only child."

"Anyway," the long haired girl looked at Mikuo, pointed at herself, and said, "I'm Kanon, so you know."

"And I'm Anon," her sister followed, deciding against persisting Rin further.

"Mikuo," the boy responded.

"From the Green Tribe," the woman Mikuo recognized as Meiko said without a doubt obvious in her tone.

"How can you tell?" Mikuo asked, wondering if his attire gave him away.

"I came her first and I'm from the Red Tribe," Meiko answered, hands on her hips. "Anon and Kanon came next, and they're from the Orange Tribe."

"And until you came along I was the newest one," Rin continued. "I'm from the Yellow Tribe."

"So we're being collected in the order of tribes," Mikuo realized.

With a nod Anon said, "Meaning within the next day or two we're going to meet the eldest child of the Blue Tribe."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Miku shifted uncomfortably as she stood guard. It was time for the Shion household to eat dinner, their table low to the ground as the family members sat on the floor, and Miku and Len stood against the wall closest to Kaito as he enjoyed chatting with his family. Kaito had been so kind as to give Miku and Len new clothes, the outfits each consisting of cream colored, long sleeved pirate shirts, black trousers, and brown hoods that were currently drawn back. The boots Miku received were so comfortable it almost felt as if she was barefoot. Perhaps this wouldn't have been so bad had she not been hungry.

Roasted duck. Steamed rice. Dumplings. Onion soup. Miku's stomach rumbled, and she would have been embarrassed had not Len's stomach growled even louder than hers. When was the last time either of them had eaten?

"I really hope they will let us help ourselves to whatever is leftover," Len said loud enough for only Miku to hear.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually agree with you," Miku sighed. "I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday."

"I haven't eaten in two days," Len admitted.

"Why would you go that long without food?" Miku asked before she knew what she was saying. The last thing she wanted to let on was that she cared for this boy when truly she nearly couldn't stand him.

Len didn't seem to mind that she had asked. "I have no money to buy food with, and I don't believe I could get away with stealing in broad daylight without causing trouble."

"So that's why you were so bent on getting paid right away!" Miku exclaimed in a whisper.

"What," Len replied, his tone implying annoyance, "did you really think I was some greedy money grabber?"

"Honestly? Yes." When Len cursed under his breath and didn't reply to her Miku had to suppress a guilty sigh. She didn't know this boy, so what right did she have to judge him? "I'm sorry," she apologized. If Len heard her, he completely ignored it. Again their stomachs growled in synch.

"Kaito, I think you should feed your bodyguards," the man with the black hair - Zeito, Miku believed his name was - said as he looked at the teens.

"You really didn't ask if they had eaten before having them stand in a room full of food they wouldn't be allowed to touch?" the girl, Kaiko, looked at her cousin with disappointment.

"I raised you better than that," the woman Miku assumed was Kaito's mother and Chief of the Blue Tribe scolded. To the teens she said, "Come. Sit with us and eat. There's plenty of food to go around."

Miku was a bundle of nerves as she made her way to the table, but Len was so eager to eat that he was sitting by the table and piling food on his plate before Miku could leave her place against the wall. Not knowing where to sit, Miku kneeled next to Len. She slowly reached out a hand, took hold of a plate, and began to carefully scoop the food. It was once she had grabbed a considerable amount of food did Miku notice the utensils being used. Chopsticks.

Try as she might, Miku couldn't figure out how the chopsticks worked. She and Mikuo had always used forks; there wasn't a single pair of chopsticks in their entire home. Miku was completely hopeless when it came to using two sticks to eat.

"You're not from the Blue Tribe, are you?"

Glancing sideways, Miku saw Len smirking at her. At least he had the decency to talk quietly enough that nobody but her heard. "How can you tell?" Miku didn't deny it.

"Easy, the Blue Tribe doesn't allow the use of forks and knives at the table. They are seen as too violent to use during family meals."

"Guess I didn't pay attention in class that day," Miku sighed. Giving up, Miku poured herself a bowl of onion soup and happily used the large spoon to eat.

After dinner Kaito retired to his room, leaving Miku and Len to take shifts in front of his room. "I'll take first watch," Len said. "You go into the other room and sleep. You have two hours before it's your turn so I suggest you get moving."

Miku wanted to argue with him but was too tired to do so. Instead she trugged to the room Kaito had told them was where they could sleep until better suited rooms were made. There was only large bed, a fact that would have bothered Miku if it weren't for the fact she and Len wouldn't be sleeping at the same time.

"Good night," Miku whispered to herself before collapsing and passing out on the feather stuffed mattress.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was fire everywhere. Right, left, up, down - not a single area was free from the raging flames. No matter where Miku looked, the blaze consumed every substance in its path. Even the sky itself seemed to burn. Then a demon-like creature appeared.

It was then a high pitched, blood curling scream pierced the night air jolt Miku awake.

"Kagamine-San!" she gasped, immediately knowing that something was wrong. In a heartbeat she was out of the room and sprinting down the halls. She may have not liked the boy, but he certainly didn't deserve whatever it was that Miku saw in her dream vision. _Please just let it be my imagination_ Miku prayed as she kept running. She would rather Len make fun of her for worrying than for the sound to be real.

Making a sharp turn, Miku had to choke back her own scream when she saw a crumpled blond figure in the hall. "Kagamine-San?!" Miku called as she ran to him. His forehead was bleeding, and blood covered the floor. "Kagamine-San?" she shrieked as she knelt by the boys side, rolling him over so that she could examine the wound.

"I'm all right," Len said with force as he sat upright and pushed Miku aside. "Bastard came out of nowhere and slammed the butt of his weapon into my face. Now forget about me. Check on Shion-San!"

"Right," Miku replied as she left Len's side to dash inside the room but stopped when she saw the position of the door before her. It was to her horror that it was cracked open, not fully closed._ Shion-San shut it all the way when he retired, didn't he?_ Miku worried as she barged inside the large room. Just as her own home when Mikuo was taken, there was a sign of a struggle, and the bluet was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry I'm a little late updating, but at least I'm on spring break now! :D I will try to have the next update up soon, but since I plan on being lazy during my week off I won't dare make any promises~.<p>

By the way, if anyone has any theories on what's going on with all of our favorite characters then don't be afraid to tell me. Feel free, I would love the hear them! :3

-Ray


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